When Danielle Caudwell fell pregnant as a teenager she was told her by friends her "life was over". The 27-year-old has just proven them wrong. She found out she was expecting her son Cameron at age 17 while in her final year at secondary school. However, after years of being a single mum,juggling fulltime work and commuting to studies at Waikato University, Ms Caudwell was recently admitted to the bar in the High Court at Rotorua. She graduated with honours. "People told me my life was over and all I would be was a solo mum. But I never believed that. "It was just a hiccup. A hurdle I had to get over. Fear never set in. "For a time I thought 'oh, well, this is what can happen'. I just thought how can I do this? How can I reach my dreams?'." The determined woman never once gave up the dream she first realised as a 6-year-old. "I always felt this sense of injustice for people and their rights so I always wanted to go into law," she said. With the help of a supportive family, understanding employers and funding from Te Arawa Maori trusts, she passed her exams. "Every minute of my life was accounted for," she said. "If something happens you just have to get on with it and make the best out of the situation." Today, as she looks for employment in the legal sector, Ms Caudwell is the co-ordinator for Rotorua Family Violence Prevention Network and the Rotorua Safer Families Leadership Group. She had always believed she would head into criminal law but after going to university she wasn't sure whether to head into criminal or family law. "Going to law school I realised there were a whole lot of other sides to law. I just have to give it a go and try it on for size," she said. As for any other women who found themselves young and pregnant, it wasn't the end of the world, Ms Caudwell said. "Don't lose sight of what you want to do. Hold on to the fact you can do what ever you want and back yourself to do it. Surround yourself with like-minded people and family. They are the people who can pull you through the hard times. They are living it with you. You need support," she said.
